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cont.
Metric Who? You!
Ah, but...does it not matter as long as one uses the same measures for everything?
Well, consider a baking recipe (not originating from your own country) calls for 3 cups of this and 1 of that, plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Which cup is meant?
If the Englishwoman trying an
American recipe uses her tea cup then the baking powder
will be too much. English usually measure butter by
ounces, the Americans mostly, but not always in increments of
cups (or tablespoons).
Fortunately, my mother taught me early on about the metric system. She baked from her German baking book which was of course in grams and kilo measures and
liters (litres) for liquids.
Weighing out what one required for a recipe was
a quick procedure. No matter what reciprocal you placed on the scale, you could set it at zero and then measure your butter if you wished it so or simply onto the tray of the scales.
I learned to use a large sieve (one multi-purpose utensil as opposed to a sifter just for sifting)
placed on top of my mixing bowl to weigh the flour in. I
could then sift directly onto a working surface or into another bowl.
We never had to worry about a cup of sifted once or twice flour, or if the flour should be scooped or spooned into the cup for accurate measurement. No, no. No thank you.
Far too much bother!
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Vanilla
( vanilla planiflora) member of the family
orchidaceae. To make your own vanilla sugar: split open two beans with a sharp knife, scrape out the pulp and bury the bean and the pulp in a half kilo of fine sugar.
Shake it around a bit every few days or so. After two weeks it is ready to use and intensifies with time. Top up now and again with another bean and sugar (replace after 6 months). I use mine to replace part or all of the sugar in a recipe. Replace 1 T. sugar in recipe with 1 T. vanilla sugar for each 1/2 t. vanilla extract. Use at least 4 T. for a cake. If you use a whole bean for a sauce or pudding it can be re-used. Thoroughly wash, dry and store airtight.
Look for 'fine vanilla' marked on the typical glass tube containing one bean. Vanilla beans should be soft, plump and pliable, indicating freshness. There are many different varieties, however look for 'Bourbon'. Experiment a bit. |
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Vanilla - Spanish for 'small sword' or 'pod', is the pod of an orchid plant native to Mexico, Central America and the W. Indies.
In 1517 the Spanish landed in Mexico searching for the legendary gold of El Dorado. Not only did they find gold, but cocoa seeds as well as vanilla bean. The Aztecs used it to season their foods and drinks.
Bourbon Vanilla has nothing to do with bourbon but has its name from the formerly named
island group, of which Madagascar belongs, and from where the very best vanilla bean comes. Other sources are Mexico and Tahiti.
In Europe, typically vanilla sugar is used not only for sprinkling over desserts or fruit, but for baking recipes as well. It is
especially practical when no added liquid is desired.
When
using extract, make sure that 'pure vanilla extract' is on the label. Vanillin,
a crystalline component first isolated from vanilla pods and now
made synthetically, is an
imitation flavouring, not worth the money and you must use more of it.
I have a small tin that holds about a half kilo of sugar
(about a pound) for my own vanilla sugar. A smaller tin is for the vanilla powdered sugar -
wonderful when a delicate flavour and the smoothness of powdered sugar is important.
Vanilla flavoured powdered sugar is a must for whipped cream, sweetened
crème fraiche, sprinkling on crepes or sifting on top of cakes,
or capuccino. Use it also for egg whites and meringues.
And with strawberries? Unforgettable!
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A pinch means with well opened fingers, that which can
be held between them. Not such a wee amount that
one needs a magnifying glass to find it! A small
pinch uses thumb and forefinger.
Pinch = about1/8 teaspoon
Small pinch = about 1/16th
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©Patricia Conant - All worldwide rights reserved.
Contact
author for permission to use these articles in part or whole.
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Vanilla flavoured powdered sugar is a
must for whipped cream,
meringues sifting on crepes, cakes or
capuccino! |
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"I'll never forget that perfume you used when we were
young! It drove me mad!" said he on their 50th
anniversary.
Smiling, she recalled those days when
she was too poor to buy perfume. It was vanilla,
clove and cinnamon extract she had made herself. |
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